Occupy San Jose and Voluntarios de la Comunidad join forces Sunday

Occupy San Jose participants Susie Barton, on left, Arnold Gutierrez, center, and Tom Higgins,on right, gather in front of San Jose City Hall as they wait to joins forces with an annual march sponsored by Voluntarios de la Comunidad in San Jose, Calif. on Sunday, December 4, 2011. (Josie Lepe/Mercury News Staff)

Occupy San Jose joined forces with Latino advocacy group Voluntarios de la Comunidad on Sunday for a joint rally at City Hall and a march to Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

San Jose's small but committed Occupy movement is increasingly finding common ground with predominantly Latino organizations on issues like predatory lending, the foreclosure crisis and rising social inequality.

Jose Sandoval, the head of Voluntarios de la Comunidad, is a grass-roots champion who advocated statewide for the right of illegal immigrants to apply for driver's licenses. On Sunday, a group of about 30 people marched from Story and King roads in East San Jose to join the Occupy movement in front of City Hall. Many carried signs that read: "No Human Being is Illegal." From there, the two groups planned to march as one to Plaza de Cesar Chavez for a moment of silence at the Man of Fire artwork that commemorates civil rights leader Dr. Ernesto Galarza.

"We are working together," Sandoval said in Spanish.

In the coming weeks, Occupy San Jose and Voluntarios de la Comunidad are collaborating on demonstrations at large banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America. On Dec. 12, the protesters will demand that both institutions halt foreclosures and allow people to keep their homes.

Arrests in Santa Cruz

Meanwhile, Occupy Oakland has called for a coordinated shutdown of ports up and down the West Coast on Dec. 12. And on Sunday, police reported that two men were arrested Saturday at the Occupy Santa Cruz camp at San Lorenzo Park after a photographer was accosted for taking pictures of the camp.

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One of those arrested was Edwin Frey, a 71-year-old Santa Cruz attorney who has been handling a legal challenge from the city against the group's camp.

Officers were dispatched to the camp and found a 43-year-old man who told them he was approached by a group of Occupiers that demanded he stop taking photographs of the camp. When he refused, the man said they threw water and toilet paper at him, pushed him and kicked him before one man pulled out a knife.

Police report they arrested Kevin Jones, 40, of Felton on suspicion of misdemeanor battery for allegedly throwing water and toilet paper. Frey was arrested after allegedly becoming irate, yelling and refusing several orders to step back while officers interviewed the victim. He was also allegedly causing other members of the camp to approach the scene.

Seeking a permit

Occupy San Jose's main beef with the city has been its request for a permit that will allow members to camp in front of City Hall without fear of arrest. The group prides itself on its relatively cordial relationship with city officials and the San Jose Police Department.

"We're the most peaceful Occupy in the Bay Area," said Shaunn Cartwright. "We've gotten arrested for civil disobedience, but not other infractions."

Cartwright said many Occupy San Jose members plan to participate in actions planned for Dec. 12. Occupy San Jose has yet to formally outline any specific goals.

"We don't have any goals. We're in solidarity with the rest of the Occupy movement," said Tom Higgins, 63, a member of Occupy San Jose's legal committee. "Wall Street has left millions of Americans jobless and in foreclosure."